


the best thing for being sad (is to learn something)

by green_tea31



Series: Cairo Day 2019 [3]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Cairo Day 2019, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 00:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18418796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_tea31/pseuds/green_tea31
Summary: Jack wakes up in the middle of the night alert in a way he hasn’t quite managed since coming home from the Sandbox. He’s taken over the kid’s guestroom for now until he can find a space of his own but Jack’s not exactly in a hurry to move out.Not until Mac’s nightmares subside somewhat or at least recede to the point where he can sleep through the night again.(In which Mac fights a literal and a figurative sandbox. Luckily, Jack is there to stay.)





	the best thing for being sad (is to learn something)

**Author's Note:**

> I realized that I'm going to have to make some time on the weekend just to read and review all the amazing stories for Cairo Day because I barely manage to edit and post my own stories. Turns out I can't just spent the entire day on Tumblr and Ao3, who knew?
> 
> Anyway, this fic implies that Mac's house has a small garden...somewhere. I'm sure it's there, they just haven't shown it to us yet ;)
> 
> As always, self-betaed. All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Title is a quote from "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White.

“We should really get rid of that thing,” Bozer muses absently while Mac rummages through one of the many boxes Harry had stowed away in the garage over the years.

Mac’s head emerges from the box, hair askew and slightly dusty, and a confused expression on his face which makes him look like an adorable kitten.

“Get rid of what?” Mac asks while Bozer snickers into his own box. They’ve been cleaning up the house for the past week so Bozer can move in once Mac leaves for Basic. The plan is for Mac to join him once he gets out of the Army and Bozer has spent many a night praying to a God he isn’t sure he still believes in that Mac actually _does_ , because that would mean that he’s made it home safe.

“The sandbox,” Bozer says and gets up to have a closer look at the old wooden thing, Mac joining him there, looking strangely apprehensive.

Bozer gestures at it. “Come on, man. I know this thing was fun when you were a kid but it’s really nothing more than an eyesore now.”

Mac rubs a hand over his face, leaving a streak of dirt behind on his face and Bozer fights the urge to remove it the way his mom would have done.

They’re adults now and Mac is perfectly capable of washing his own face.

“I remember when Harry and my Dad built that the summer before my Mom died…,” Mac murmurs to himself and Bozer supresses a flinch. He should have expected that there were some…delicate memories to be found at the house given his best friend’s past but…

Well…Mac’s about to leave and it’s not like Bozer _needs_ the additional space getting rid of the sandbox would provide.

“It’s not like we have to decide right now, Mac. Come on, let’s go back to the garage – plenty of work still left there,” Bozer says and Mac throws him a grateful smile. They wander back to their boxes and the sandbox is left in peace.

…

Jack wakes up in the middle of the night alert in a way he hasn’t quite managed since coming home from the Sandbox. He’s taken over the kid’s guestroom for now until he can find a space of his own but Jack’s not exactly in a hurry to move out.

Not until Mac’s nightmares subside somewhat or at least recede to the point where he can sleep through the night again. Jack has spent countless sleepless nights alone after coming home from a tour that left him a wreck of his former self and he’s determined to see the kid through this.

Anything to prevent Mac from having to suffer alone. He might have his childhood friend Bozer here with him but Jack knows from his own experience that there are some things you just don’t share with civilians.

Some things you can’t share at all and Jack at least knows what it’s like over there.

Since he’s already up and awake and a glance at his alarm tells him it’s not long until sunrise Jack figures he might as well get up and have an early start. Might even get them some of that fancy coffee and the poppy seed bagels Mac likes so much.

He’s not the only one up, though, which becomes clear after he wanders outside and can just make out a figure working on something in the small garden attached to the house.

“Mac?” Jack calls after recognizing the blond hair. The kid is sitting in a pile of sand, surrounded by old planks that look like they’ve been taken apart in a hurry judging by the tools and rusty nails Jack can spot in the mess. He carefully makes his way over, trying not to spook Mac who looks like he’s stuck in his head, staring forlornly into the distance.

Jack knows that look, having seen it on the kid’s face when he failed to disarm an IED in time more than once. Mac may have been the best EOD tech Jack’s ever worked with but the Sandbox is merciless and not even he could save the day every damn time.

Speaking of…

“Is that…a sandbox?” Jack asks incredulously while carefully dropping down next to Mac. He didn’t think people still owned these archaic things but then again Jack’s also spent most of the past few years overseas getting shot at so he’s probably not the right person to ask.

Mac’s head jerks up at his question and he looks at Jack like he can’t quite believe that Jack is _here_.

Jack’s heart clenches – the kid’s abandonment issues could fill a book of their own but Jack’s already decided that he’s there to stay.

No way Mac is getting rid of him now.

“It is, yeah…” Mac looks around and grimaces at the mess. “Or it was, at least. Guess it’s just a pile of old junk now.” Mac slumps to the side almost unconsciously, leaning against Jack for support and he takes a chance, wrapping his arm around the kid and drawing him closer.

“I don’t know, hoss,” Jack begins while Mac snuggles into him, seeking out the warmth of Jack’s body after having spent the past hour in the relative chill of the very early morning. His muscles are tense, though.

“I’m guessing there are some pretty good memories attached to this thing,” Jack adds and Mac smiles in response. It’s just a small one, barely a twitch of his lips but it’s a start.

“Yeah…” Mac glances around while the early morning light makes the shadows dance on his face. Jack tightens his arm around the kid and ventures a bit further.

“Plenty of new memories to make now.”

The strain on Mac’s face eases and he relaxes in Jack’s hold. In a while they’ll work side by side to clean up the mess and Jack will have gotten breakfast before Bozer is even ready to join them in the brightly lit kitchen, but for now, they let the sun warm their faces.

 

 


End file.
